Kim Jong Il meets Jong Mong Hon
Pyongyang, August 10 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il on August 9 received chairman Jong Mong Hon of Hyundai Asan board of directors from South Korea, and his party on a visit to Pyongyang.
Jong's party included chairman Ri Ik Chi of Hyundai securities, president Kim Yun Gyu of Hyundai Engineering Construction, president Kim Chung Sik of Hyundai Merchant Marine and vice-president Kim Ko Jung of Hyundai Asan.
On hand was chairman Kim Yong Sun of the Korean Asia-Pacific Peace Committee.
Kim Jong Il expressed thanks to chairman Jong Mong Hon and his party for having brought with them a total of 1,500 head of cattle in three batches carrying their sincerity and had a conversation with them in an amicable atmosphere.
He gave a luncheon for them and posed for a photograph with them.
Jong Mong Hon goes back
Pyongyang, August 10 (KCNA) -- Jong Mong Hon, chairman of the South Korean Hyundai Asan board of directors, and his party today went back via Panmunjom.
They were seen off at Panmunjom by Kang Jong Han, secretary general of the Korean Asia-Pacific Peace Committee, Jong Un Op, chairman of the National Economic Cooperation Federation, and officials concerned.
DPRK-Japan intergovernmental talks to be held
Pyongyang, August 10 (KCNA) -- The tenth round of DPRK-Japan intergovernmental full-dress talks will be held in Tokyo from August 21 to 25.
The talks will be attended by the DPRK government delegation headed by Jong Thae Hwa, roving ambassador of the Foreign Ministry, and the Japanese government delegation headed by Kojiro Takano, ambassador of the Foreign Ministry for negotiations for the establishment of Japan-DPRK diplomatic relations.
The talks will discuss the issue of Japan's settlement of its past and other issues related to the improvement of the bilateral relations.
3rd home visit of Japanese women in Korea to take place
Pyongyang, August 10 (KCNA) -- The third home visit of Japanese women in Korea will be made from September 12 to 18 according to the agreement between the organs concerned of the DPRK and Japan.
The visit will contribute to the promotion of mutual understanding between the two peoples.
Rakrang tilery commissioned
Pyongyang, August 10 (KCNA) -- The Rakrang tilery was commissioned in Thongil Street of Pyongyang.
The tilery is a contribution from the Hyundai Group of South Korea.
A ceremony of commissioning the tilery was held on the spot on August 9.
Present at the ceremony were Kang Jong Hun, secretary general of the Korean Asia-Pacific Peace Committee, officials concerned and employees of the tilery.
Jong Mong Hon, chairman of Hyundai Asan board of directors, and his party were on hand.
Speeches were made there.
At the end of the ceremony, its participants looked round the production processes of the tilery.
Earlier, chairman Jong Mong Hon and his party went round the construction site of the Pyongyang gymnasium.
Tours revolutionary battle sites in Mt. Paektu
Pyongyang, August 10 (KCNA) -- The delegation of South Korean media organizations visited the secret camp on Mt. Paektu, a sacred place of revolution, in Ryanggang Province on August 9.
They looked round the log cabin which housed the headquarters where the President Kim Il Sung led the Korean revolution and the time-honored native home where General Secretary Kim Jong Il was born.
Hearing an explanation about how Kim Jong Il, a peerlessly great man, was born as a great son of guerrillas, they looked round historical relics preserved in the native home with good care.
At dawn, they climbed Mt. Paektu and commanded a bird's-eye view of the majestic sunrise over it.
They took cable-cars to enjoy a bird's-eye view of Lake Chon before coming down to its shore and spent a pleasant time there.
They toured various revolutionary battle sites in the area of Mt. Paektu.
Great banner of national unity and reunification
Pyongyang, August 10 (KCNA) -- The five-point policy of great national unity serves as the banner of national unity and reunification, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article.
Great national unity is the foundation of national reunification and reunification can be achieved only by the concerted efforts of the nation, the article notes, and goes on:
Great national unity should be based on the principle of national independence.
The Korean nation's cause of reunification is precisely the cause of national independence. If the whole nation unites in perfect harmony, it will be the reunification of the country.
The nation should unite under the banner of patriotism and national reunification.
Strongest patriotism for the Korean nation today is a dedication to reunification.
Great national unity for reunification, a patriotic cause, should be achieved on the basis of ardent love of the country and the nation.
In order to achieve the great unity of the Korean nation it is imperative to improve inter-Korean relations.
A favourable atmosphere for national reconciliation, unity and reunification has been created between the north and the south.
If inter-Korean relations make progress from the present starting point, not making setback, the Korean nation will be able to bring the dawn of reunification by its concerted efforts.
In order to achieve the great national unity, all the Koreans in the north, south and abroad should promote mutual visits, contacts and dialogue and strengthen solidarity.
The five-point policy of the great national unity is a charter of national unity which helps all the compatriots unite under the banner of national independence and patriotism and achieve national reunification, the cherished desire of the nation.
It is inevitable in history that Korea will be reunified by the concerted efforts of the nation.
Letter of protest to PM of Japan
Pyongyang, August 10 (KCNA) --Tthe DPRK Anti-Nuke Peace Consultative Council of A-bomb Victims sent a letter of protest to Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori Tuesday, 55 years after the drop of A-bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Urging an apology and compensation to Korean A-bomb victims residing in the DPRK, the council in the letter said:
A-bomb victims in the DPRK are persons who were taken away to Japan for "labour," "military service" and other purposes during its military occupation of Korea in the past, and their descendants.
So it is a legal and moral duty of the Japanese government to make an apology and compensation to them.
However, the Japanese government has refused to offer aid to those victims in the DPRK only though it instituted "law on aid" for A-bomb victims.
The victims in the DPRK can hardly repress their anger at this prejudiced behavior.
If the Japanese government refuses to do what it should do, turning aside the demand of the present times, it will meet a bitterer condemnation of the world community.
The DPRK Anti-Nuke Peace Consultative Council of A-bomb victims strongly urges you, the Prime Minister of the Japanese government, to lend an ear to protest and condemnation of victims in the DPRK and take necessary measures in a responsible manner.
We will continue our struggle until our just demand is met.
7th Pyongyang Film Festival to be held
Pyongyang, August 10 (KCNA) -- The 7th Pyongyang Film Festival of non-aligned and other developing countries will be held from September 13 to 21.
The festival to be organized in the idea of independence, peace and friendship will involve competition, informative screening, retrospection and special screening and film market.
The jury of the competition will judge lengthy feature films and short and documentary films.
Excellent films will be awarded gold, silver and bronze torch prizes. Festival prizes also include scenario, production, shooting, fine art, music and acting (male and female) prizes.
The festival is to bring together participants from more than 40 countries.
Korean national preparatory committee formed
Pyongyang, August 10 (KCNA) -- The Korean national preparatory committee for the 15th World Festival of Youth and Students was formed in Pyongyang on July 27.
Ri Il Hwan, first secretary of the central committee of the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League, was elected chairman of the preparatory committee.
The festival is to be held in Algeria in the summer of 2001 under the slogan "Let us wage the struggle for anti-imperialism, peace, solidarity and development throughout the world."
DPRK wrestlers prove successful in wrestling
Pyongyang, August 10 (KCNA) -- DPRK wrestler Jo Yong Son picked up a gold medal in the 63 kg division at the 8th International Freestyle Wrestling Tournament for "Budayev Prize" held in Ulan-ude, Russia.
So Kwang Myong placed second in the 54 kg division and Kang Kum Chol third in the 58 kg division.
Jo Yong Son also won the prize for the best wrestler of the tournament.
"International Kim Il Sung Prize"
Pyongyang August 10 (KCNA) -- The "International Kim Il Sung Prize" Council made public a decision recently.
According to it, the "International Kim Il Sung Prize" was awarded to Dorank Assifat Diasseny, director general of the African Regional Committee for the Study of the Juche Idea and Minister in charge of National Defence of the Guinean Presidential Office.
The prize was instituted to meet the ardent desire of the world progressive figures and people to glorify for all ages the immortal exploits performed by the President Kim Il Sung on behalf of humankind.
This prize was initiated by Vishwanath, former secretary general of the Indian Society for the Study of the Juche Idea.
Vishwanath and other prominent figures of the world organized the "International Kim Il Sung Prize" Council and instituted the prize in April Juche 82 (1993).
The prize is awarded to prominent political and public figures who have earnestly followed the Juche idea and worked hard to embody it and made distinguished contributions to the struggle to achieve global independence and peace.
This prize is awarded to one person every year under a decision of the council on the occasion of the birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung, Sun's Day.
A certificate of merit, gold medal and souvenir (precious metals) go to every recipient of the prize.
The first prize winner is Shuhachi Inoue, former director general of the International Institute of the Juche Idea (IIJI) and Honorary Professor and Doctor at Rikkyo University.
This prize also went to T. B. Mukherjee, Honorary President of the Asian Regional Institute of the Juche Idea who is also vice-director general of the IIJI= Kenichi Ogami, secretary general of the IIJI= and Jose Francisco Aguilar Bulgarelli, general secretary of the Popular Force organized in Costa Rica, vice-director general of the IIJI and chairman of the Latin American Institute of the Juche Idea.
Chun Doo Hwan military junta's fabrication of fiction of "north's invasion" disclosed
Pyongyang, August 10 (KCNA) -- A team of the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) for the production of a special program on August 15 liberation day recently obtained a testimony and evidence proving that the Chun Doo Hwan new military junta intentionally cooked up the fiction of the "north's invasion" to seize power in 1980, according to the MBC from Seoul.
The MBC said:
In May 1980, the new military junta headed by the then "commander for public security" Chun Doo Hwan asserted that they received from the research room of the Japanese cabinet information that the north was going to invade the south between May 15 and 20 in that year and, on its basis, escalated the enforcement of the "martial law." But, the recently obtained data go to prove that that was a sheer lie.
According to data, the head of the team in charge of the Korean peninsula of the then research room testified to the fact that "there was no information about possible invasion from the north and he never provided any information."
Meanwhile, the South Korean general staff of intelligence in its "report on the analysis of the theory of the north's invasion" on May 10, 1980 said there was no particular sign just before the outbreak of the war and the theory of the north's invasion lacked credibility in view of the situation at that time.
Conveying this story, the MBC claimed there is a strong suspicion that the new military junta led by Chun Doo Hwan intentionally spread the rumour about the "north's invasion" to take power.
Release of prisoners of conscience urged
Pyongyang, August 10 (KCNA) -- Voices of civic organizations calling for the release of prisoners of conscience and the solution of the issue of wanted persons are growing louder, according to the Christian Broadcasting Service from Seoul.
Saying that there are still many prisoners of conscience and hundreds of people are on want list, the "Family Movement for Realizing Democracy" held that keeping prisoners of conscience behind bars under the "Security Law" goes against the trend of the times.
The movement demanded the authorities set free the prisoners of conscience at an early date, reminding them that a lot of them are suffering from serious illness like cancer of the lung.
Accusing the authorities of being keen only on the pardon and reinstatement of corrupt politicians, the Citizens' Solidarity for Realizing Human Rights urged them to be active for the solution of the issue of prisoners of conscience.
The organizations threatened to stage a powerful struggle unless their demand is met.
KCNA urges Japan not to spread militarist trend
Pyongyang, August 10 (KCNA) -- Eight ministers of the Japanese cabinet including the Minister of Justice and the director general of the Defence Agency reportedly planned to make an official visit to the "Yasukuni Shrine" on August 15, the day when Japan was defeated in World War II.
Their plan is a sort of insult to the peoples of Korea and other countries in Asia who suffered immeasurable damage due to the Japanese aggression and military occupation in the past and an anachronistic action which may arouse concern over the militarization of Japan in the international community.
"Yasukuni Shrine" is symbolic of Japanese militarism, where top-class war criminals including Tojo who inflicted unbearable disasters upon humankind are entombed.
Whether one visits it or not can be a touchstone showing the attitude of the Japanese politicians toward the past war of aggression. So the foresighted politicians of Japan concerned about its future have always approached the visit to it with prudence because it leads the Japanese society to the rightwing and militarization.
Japanese cabinet ministers' plan to make an official visit to it, ignoring such political and social problems, cannot be construed otherwise than a move to float the militarist trend in the Japanese society and instill a reactionary view on history into the people.
The Japanese politicians should face up to the reality and act with discretion.
Militarism is a trend whose inhuman nature has already been proved and rejected by history.
For Japan the revival of militarism precisely means self-destruction.